Miami Hurricanes: Anthony Reddick Is Back

After serving a four-game suspension for going ‘Braveheart’ with his helmet in the FIU brawl, Anthony Reddick was reinstated this week and will most likely play this Saturday at Virginia.

This comes two weeks after Ryan Moore was reinstated against Virginia, after serving a nine game suspension – the first half for violating team rules and the second, for his altercation with a female patron at an on campus bar.

I’m not a head coach, nor am I judge, jury or executioner. I don’t know what a ‘fair’ punishment is regarding forcing players to miss game for an on or off the field violation. Thankfully, that’s not my job. I can just sit on the sideline and play critic.

Regarding the return of Reddick, I don’t know how I feel about it. At day’s end, what’s the difference here between two games, four games or the whole season? I watched Reddick’s interview the week after and the kid truly looked sorry. He knew he made a mistake and he felt stupid as all hell for wielding a helmet in an on the field brawl.

What I do have issue with – regarding both Reddick and Moore – is the lack of rhyme or reason Larry Coker has shown in his handling of both suspensions. Both players were “suspended” indefinitely and there was no discussion about it until the week they returned.

By not addressing the issue head on, Coker looks incompetent and desperate. Bringing Moore back against Virginia Tech in a big game situation? Bringing Reddick back for the final two games one week after starting safety Kenny Phillips had season ending surgery? That doesn’t strike me as the way a head coach and program’s CEO should handle these matters.

After the FIU brawl, suspensions were handed down. All players got one-game suspensions and Reddick was suspended indefinitely. A month has passed and with no discussion on the matter, Reddick is now practicing and ready to play against Virginia. Miami fans can call it ‘media bias’ but you can’t blame the writers for this one. Coker needed to stand in front of that podium last month stating that Reddick was suspended X amount of games and would return on a certain date. Or he needed to provide an update sometime between the Sunday after FIU and the Thursday before Virginia.

The same can be said for the Moore situation. Moore’s status was upgraded to ‘indefinite’ after his on campus altercation in late August and not a word was uttered until Georgia Tech week. He returned a week later when the Hokies headed south to play the Canes.

As the leader of this program, Coker needs to make the call and stand by it. Suspending players indefinitely isn’t the problem. Actually, I respect that. Don’t rush to judgment. Mull it over. Look at all the facts. Then make the call. The issue here is that you can’t suspend a player indefinitely, sweep it under the rug and then out of nowhere, with no rhyme or reason, reinstate them.

The ‘head in the sand’ mentality was not a tactic employed by great leaders throughout time. Meet the challenge head on and stand by you decision.

For what it’s worth, I think four games is fair. FIU booted the two players who started it and every participant on both squads, got one game suspensions. Reddick was the main culprit, based on the use of the helmet, so four games seems just. Still, within a week of the brawl, a specified amount of time needed to be announced.

Call it what you want, but in my opinion this is further proof that Coker struggles with that ‘head coach’ job title. His inability to make a decision and stand by it again will bring criticism on Miami. This move reeks of desperation and looks like a last ditch effort for Coker to tally up a few more wins in an attempt to save his job.

That said, welcome back Anthony Reddick. After giving up the deep ball last week against Maryland, this secondary needs all the help it can get.

.:Canes305:.

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